VIDEO: McHerron of Burnt Hills named The Saratogian's Girls Lacrosse Coach of the Year

Coach Jake McHerron sets the ball for Amy LeBel, left, and Nicole Beardsley during varsity lacrosse practice at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Middle School. The team used snowshoes and cross-country skis to get ouside and practice on a snow-covered field. Ed Burke 3/22/13

BURNT HILLS -- It seems like most Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake girls lacrosse teams have trended toward youth, with large underclassmen presences on the Spartan sideline.

However, in two of the last three seasons, BH-BL has shaken off the "young team" label, peaked at the right time, and captured Section II championships. The 2013 season saw the Spartans defeat the top two seeds in the Class B bracket to win the title, and for his team's efforts, BH-BL head coach Jake McHerron has been named The Saratogian's Girls Lacrosse Coach of the Year.

"The mindset was that we needed to go out and play Burnt Hills lacrosse," McHerron said of the approach to the 2013 campaign. "That's something we preach every day here, where we make sure we're going out and picking up the ground balls, winning draws, and winning the little parts of the game that are the most important."

Nowhere was McHerron's squad's improvement more evident than in the Section II championship game against undefeated Queensbury. The No. 1 seed had gone a perfect 16-0, and they dealt BH-BL a five-goal loss in the 2013 season opener.

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However, No. 3 BH-BL, which had knocked off Niskayuna 11-10 in double-overtime in the semifinal, came out ready to play and held off a late Queensbury run to prevail 14-11. A season that began with a five-goal loss to the reigning Class B champs wound up being highlighted by a three-goal win over that same opponent less than two months later.

"It seems like we've been young every year, but the great side of it is that these younger kids are now getting older and older," McHerron said. "As they come of age and mature, the experience they develop and bring to this game and our school has been impeccable."

The Spartans were led by Nicole Beardsley, who was named The Saratogian's Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year after an 89-point season. The team also included All-Stars Jordyn Godfrey, Courtney Clark, and Lexie Ball and honorable mention Amy LeBel, and McHerron raved about his group.

"They were awesome to coach," he said. "They came to work every day. I couldn't have asked for anything more, and they're a really special group."

LeBel and Godfrey will begin college careers in the fall at New Hampshire and Plymouth State, respectively, and Clark will graduate as well. However, Northwestern-bound Beardsley returns for her senior season, Ball figures to be a long-term starter in net after a stellar freshman campaign, and eight of the Spartans' top 10 scorers in total will be eligible to suit up again in 2014.

Expectations are high in Burnt Hills, and few are looking forward to next season more than McHerron.

"I'm very excited for next year's group," he said. "We bring a lot of people back, so it puts us up there, but when you win a championship, it puts a bullseye on you. You're not the underdog.

"Coming in, we'll have that big bullseye, but I think this group can handle that. We just need to come out and work every day to get back there."